Blue Grim

THE FAE OF DEATH

Blue Grims are pucks that aid in decomposition, help bring in winter, and live where the dead reside.

HISTORY

It is unknown how they came into being, though they are viewed as forces of nature — ever-present and undying.

HABITAT

The tiny beings can be found where human remains are buried; groups of them can be discovered in cemeteries, but gatherings can also be found in any site where multiple bodies are buried—few may even loiter at the location of one corpse. However, pucks eventually congregate in graveyards, as they are fervently drawn to them, called to carry out their duties and fulfill their desires.

APPEARANCE

Grave Pucks have short, dry, white or light gray hair parted in the middle by a pale gray horn; their skin is the same deathly pale color of their horn, and is cracked or leathery in sections, sunken in over a bony frame, and seemingly devoid of musculature. They smell of rotten flesh and have the appearance of an emaciated, dying creature.

Like many fae, Blue Grims have long, pointed ears that grow as they age, curling back behind the head. One of its more frightening aspects is its eyeless face; where the organs should be, deep, dark depressions lie, the skin twisting into its skull, hidden by shadow. Above the holes are small, ovular eyebrows, usually furrowed; below the eyes is an angular face with gaunt, pronounced cheekbones and thin lips that cover a mouthful of sharp teeth.

Blue Grims have thin, skeletal bodies with pronounced spines, joints, and a long line of thin ribs; the creature’s arms and legs are frail-looking and spindly, mirroring the rest of its decrepit build. Their hands and feet both have 5 phalanges, each slim, lengthy, pointed, yet nail-less; one of the toes acts like an opposable thumb, gripping perches or acting as a dagger to foes. Grave Pucks also have a pair of dark blue, bat-like wings, but they are mostly useless in their state of decay. The wing’s membrane, which is dotted with tears and holes, only permits the fae to gain height on a jump or flutter to the ground with clumsy, unnerving movement; as is ear length, the number of gaps in a puck’s wing denotes their age. Allowing their body to seemingly float with a jump, Blue Grim’s bones are lightweight (those located in the wings being hollow).

On average, these fae grow no larger than 5 in. tall, with wingspans double their height. The entities live for about 70 years on average.

DIET AND FEEDING

Grave Pucks are carnivorous, eating insects, worms, weaker fae, mice, and other small mammals. The creatures also engorge themselves on the deceased; they will feed upon a corpse of any age or kind but prefer fresher bodies. When the craving provokes them and no choices lie above ground, the puck will dig into the earth, creating a small, thin tunnel leading to the body/casket; there, the puck will break through any exterior covering or container, and consume flesh, muscle, organ, and any nearby insects. In gravesites, these holes can be seen over the top of the buried or near the tombstone in the ground. As the ground hydrates, the holes shrink; locals call the pinpricks “air holes”, as they appear to bring in air to the deceased, or seem to be the dead’s last breath, forcing its way back aboveground. As the fae eats, their belly greatly extends; after a full meal, they struggle to move with the extra weight. Saliva from the fae makes its way to the corpse’s bones, breaking them down and causing them to crumble; they will return later to consume these remains. The pucks may also scavenge rotting and deceased plants or actively attack dying/sickly individuals in a gathering site.

ACTIVITY

Blue Grims not only aid in the decomposition of corpses, but also assist nature in calling forth wintertime. With the first nip of chill air, the pucks whisper curses into the ears of trees, shriveling their leaves and wilting autumn foliage. Many animals are chased away, running far from the Grim’s chants to warmer regions where they can live unperturbed; others hide away in the darkness, sleeping through the cold, harsh season out of the pucks’ sights. The wintery touch of Grave Pucks hardens the earth and kills lesser, unprepared beings. As the season truly takes hold, their range increases and they devour the dead, decimate the weak; winter spreads from gravesites outwards, as other winter fae creatures wake and join in calling the season. Winter is when pucks are the strongest, fastest; it is when they seek faeries to eat.

When the cool air begins to wane and the sun peeks out from behind the clouds, warming the land, Blue Grims retreat to their dead; their bodies slow, power declines, and they no longer travel as far each day. Faeries invade their territories, bringing life to places of death; they do not fear the pucks, for they are more lethargic and less threatening in spring. Though Graven Pucks hate every kind of faerie, they do not wish them to entirely die out, for they need new life to consume and their tree-birthing magic.

Necrotic Blue Grim: Rulers of the Graveyard

Like most fae that orient themselves around natural processes, Blue Grims have a leader that is larger and more powerful than others; this puck is known as the Necrotic Blue Grim. Pucks do not contest for leadership, they are born into the position. Blue Grims having a blue horn are automatically respected and deferred to as the leader by all pucks of the same species. Necrotic Blue Grims are the only individuals of their kind that are territorial; there is only one leader per gathering, with domains spanning several to hundreds of miles depending on the Grim and their group’s size. Territory can be fought over between pucks, but only Necrotic Grims participate in the conflict. The winner of the altercation sets boundaries, leaving the loser undesired or less delightful land. Stronger leaders also draw in more underlings.

Necrotic Grims tell those of their group when to begin casting spells to initiate winter. Leaders also decide which Grims eat which corpses and when; these beings grow in power with each feeding; Necrotic Grims choose individuals strategically or to reward/punish pucks. Though these strong fae are respected, their commands are not always followed by subordinates. As Grims grow in power, new abilities are gained, as well as the strength of old ones. Powerful or Necrotic Blue Grims may call forth blustering winds, cause specified organ failure, create poison, paralyze individuals, reanimate corpses, and grow Grave Puck groves

through ritualistic activities and magic; these pucks are also more succesful in finding, catching, and consuming faeries. At times, Grims will bleed these fae, dry them out, and grind them to dust; faerie dust is used by pucks to reproduce and maintain their deathly orchards.

Blue Grims that are in trios, pairs, or traveling solo are usually youths. As they grow older, they are drawn to more experienced Necrotic Grims, as there is more potential to gain power; older pucks may join young leaders, as they can take advantage of their inexperience. As a whole, Blue Grims are self-serving but will work together to bring harm to other beings and call winter, which are activities that bring them joy.

Pictures taken of Blue Grims will result in flaws in the image (balls of light, streaks, shadows, and blurs); they also may cause electronics to temporarily malfunction near them.

Grave Puck Groves

Fruit trees sometimes spring out of graveyard dirt: apple, orange, pear, mulberry, and cherry. Some of these are planted intentionally by those wishing to beautify a morbid place, create an eco-friendly memorial, or to honor a loved one; these are not the fruit trees that all are warned about. Those are planted by Blue Grims. That is why there is an old saying in West Virginia, “Never eat fruit from a graveyard, lest you die.”

Blue Grims have no reproductive organs but reproduce through their orchards. When one of their own dies, the beings can sense their passing; a pair or trio will retrieve the body, bringing it to one of their trees. The corpse is stripped of flesh (which is consumed or used to make poisons) and buried by the tree. The magical, fae-touched plant will wrap the skeletal remains in roots, restoring both body and mind before rebirthing the creature. The newborn tunnels up from the ground after the tree has completed its magic; it is fully developed, but has no memory of its past life.

These special trees are only planted by Necrotic Blue Grims; after they have eaten several corpses and/or killed a few living beings, a seed develops in their belly. When the seed fills the puck’s stomach, it violently vomits it up. The seed is planted only in graveyards and near as many bodies as possible. The fae will then wait for faeries to trespass within their territory and cause the seed to sprout; if this fails to happen, the Grims will kill a faerie, turn them to dust, and spread the remains over the seed, which causes it to magically grow.

Grave Puck Groves kill many creatures with their poisonous fruit. With every kill, the puck who created the tree and any Grims rebirthed by it gain power. The fruit from a Grave Puck’s tree causes Graveyard Syndrome: an incurable malady consisting of paralysis, vomiting, diarrhea, migraines, night terrors, and paranoia; the most resistant victims of this illness may survive up to seven days. The fruit from these evil orchards may be distinguished by their interior flesh, which will contain 1 - 6 black, perfectly round, minuscule seeds. The dark dots may be visible from the exterior of some fruit, like berries. If this fruit is consumed by a pregnant woman, a creature worse than a Blue Grim will be spawned.

It is said that Grave Pucks also have secret stashes of these tree seeds—a safety measure in case all of them are lost or destroyed.